Chris Lighty’s Suicide: When The Pain Is Great Enough, Where Do Black Men Turn?

The entertainment industry circle is all a buzz with the news that 44-year-old hip hop executive and pioneer, Chris Lighty has passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Suicide. According to NewsOne, Lighty was the powerhouse behind Violater Records and management and in that position, he guided the careers of hip-hop heavyweights like 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliot.

It’s amazing that you can read about someone’s success on paper, but have no clue what torment they’re going through on the inside. According to Black Doctor, over 5 million in the U.S. experience depression every year. While there are many palpable signs that lead to the discovery of your own depression, many Black people, especially men are guilty of internalizing their pain, self-medicating and/or using religion as a coping mechanism, which causes it to eat away at us more than it helps to cease the sadness.